


Grey Space

by meanderingmirth



Series: Magical Creatures AU [3]
Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, Magical Creatures AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 16:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4442504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanghyuk really should find a better mentor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grey Space

**Author's Note:**

> the third part of the magical creatures au I'm writing! featuring some friends from BTOB as well. (・∀・)
> 
> enjoy!

“Guess who’s got a new case,” Jaehwan singsongs as he skipped over to Taekwoon’s desk, slinging his arms around Taekwoon’s shoulders. Taekwoon rolls his eyes and pinches the inside of Jaehwan’s elbow, making him squawk unattractively.

“You mean  _we’ve_  got a new case. What kind of call did you pick up this time?” he sighs, spinning around in his office chair to gage the level of excitement in Jaehwan’s eyes;  _very excited_  meaning there was probably a report about illegal dragon eggs, and  _not very exciting_  meant something to do with a dull shoplifting case at the local apothecary.

“It’s another complaint about the Mad Warlock again,” Jaehwan grins, retrieving the call slip from his jacket pocket and held it out to Taekwoon, who sighs even louder and takes his glasses off to read the small, inky print. “Something about him brewing up another potion that’s not within legal boundaries.”

“Can’t you pass this one off to somebody else?” Taekwoon groans. “You know how much I hate making house calls for that old man.”

“Nope, because I was the one who specifically picked it up!” Jaehwan beams, ignoring the laser glare Taekwoon is now sending his way. “Aw, c’mon, it’ll be an easy trip! I’ve been dying for an excuse to visit Sanghyuk anyway.”

“Find some other time after work to go visit,” Taekwoon grumbles, but he stands and obligingly grabs his coat and lanyard anyway. He really shouldn’t indulge Jaehwan so much; his partner’s getting spoiled.

“But weren’t we supposed to go out for dinner tonight?” Jaehwan asks, batting his eyelashes at Taekwoon as they walk out of the office, a spring in each of Jaehwan’s steps. “And then you’re supposed to walk me home and we’re supposed to hold hands under the starry sky and when I’m on my porch I’m supposed to pretend like I don’t want you to stay but then you seduce me with your dark, handsome eyes and I’m helpless against your smouldering charms—”

“Have you been reading Wonshik’s romance novels again or is your imagination just that colourful?” Taekwoon demands, his face hot, and Jaehwan bursts out laughing.

“You love me for my colourful imagination,” Jaehwan teases as they get into the lift, and Taekwoon flicks his partner in the forehead as the doors slide close.

Then, as an afterthought, he leans over and presses a quick little kiss to the spot he’d just flicked and has to duck his head to hide his laugh when it’s Jaehwan’s turn to flush bright red.

+

It is half past one in the afternoon when they finally arrive at the Mad Warlock’s house, and everything looks relatively peaceful and orderly from the outside, but looks can be deceiving. Taekwoon knows there’s a lot more going on in the beat-up, smelly old bungalow in front of them. He lets Jaehwan flounce over a bed of withered flowers and horrendously spiky weeds to knock on the wooden door. Flakes of paint bounced off in little bits with each hit.

They wait together, but the moment they hear the lock unlatch and see the door creaking open and a familiar blond head peek out, Jaehwan is already leaping forwards.

“Sanghyukkie! My favourite grossly underpaid apprentice!” Jaehwan yells, yanking Sanghyuk out of the house and bundling him up in a rib-breaking hug. Sanghyuk gasps as the air was squeezed out of him and quickly claps a hand over Jaehwan’s mouth.

“Shh!” he hisses, but then, from inside the house, a furious, reedy voice shrieks, “Who is that at the door?!”

“Great,” Sanghyuk gripes, pushing Jaehwan off him, and hollered back, “Just the jocks next door trying to sell me pot, don’t mind it!”

“I’m not dumb!” the voice screams, and there was a whole lot of noise and some frantic scrambling. “Those damn parole officers are here! Shut the door, Sanghyuk!”

“What’s going on?” Taekwoon asks, frowning, and Sanghyuk whips around to face them.

“I know this is really sudden, but you gotta stop him,” the apprentice says in a low voice, his tone urgent. “I placed that call to the Department earlier when the Professor wouldn’t stop making his potion.”

“What kind of potion is it?” Jaehwan asks.

“A very complicated one that will result in very bad things if he gets it wrong,” Sanghyuk says, desperation and worry evident in his eyes. “And even though I know next to nothing about how to make said potion I can already tell the Professor’s screwed up more than once already. Please, you have to make him stop.”

“Don’t worry,” Taekwoon reassures him, placing a calming hand on Sanghyuk’s shoulder. “That’s what we’re here for.” He glanced into the house, wrinkling his nose at the pile of yellowed newspapers in the foyer, mason jars full of amphibians floating in jelly lining the hall, and the overall stink of the house. “Stay behind me and Jaehwan,” he adds, and bravely takes the first step in.

Their offender is in the kitchen when the three of them managed to pick their way around the questionable artifacts, barely managing to squeeze through the mess that seems to span from the unwashed floor to the low ceiling.

“Which one of ‘em damn nosy bastards called you lot in?” the Mad Warlock demands, standing aggressively in front of the bubbling cauldron and summoning symbols like a mother bear defending her cubs. He’s a wizened old man with flyaway grey hair, wears round, dark spectacles, and has an overgrown beard. The hideous bathrobe he’s donned barely hides the stained green tracksuit underneath.

“I did,” Sanghyuk says, looking both guilty and defiant, and the Mad Warlock whirls on him with a shocked look.

“ _Yah_  called the poppers?” he growls, showing all of his yellowed teeth (including the missing ones), and Sanghyuk winces.

“Yeah, because I’ve turned a blind eye on some of the stuff you’ve done before, and while it wasn’t really okay, you weren’t trying anything that dangerous. But I really think you’re overstepping your boundaries here, Professor,” Sanghyuk says, eyeing the cauldron the way a person would look at a loaded animal trap. “And won’t you please just stop attempting that spell?”

“What spell?” Taekwoon asks sharply.

“None of yer business ya honker,” the Mad Warlock grunts at the same time Sanghyuk says, “A highly dangerous mix of spiritually cleansing spells with an old Aztec ritual summoning technique.”

“I have no idea what the heck that is,” Jaehwan says very seriously, “But just the combination of words that come out of Sanghyuk’s mouth sounds illegal enough, so I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you to shut down your project, old man.”

“You— you—” the Mad Warlock seemed unable to form words in his rage. “Everything I’ve ever done— my one shot! At gettin’ the respect from the sorcerer’s community that I deserve! Why are yer tryin’ to take it away from me?!”

“You don’t have to make weird projects to get respect, Professor,” Sanghyuk implores, and Taekwoon’s starting to wish he helped Sanghyuk find a better mentor sooner. The kid really didn’t deserve to get caught up in a mess like this. “Really, if you stopped setting of firecrackers in the middle of the night I’m sure people would appreciate it very much already.”

“I didn’t know I wasted three years teaching a wimp!” the Mad Warlock screeched, jabbing a finger at Sanghyuk. “What’d I always tell yah, son? You gotta  _fight_  for recognition in this world!”

“I’m starting to think you’re taking the fighting part a bit too seriously,” Jaehwan points out, and the Mad Warlock sneers at him.

“Sorry, officer, but you won’t be getting yer little paws on my spell. Not today.”

“To be honest, I wouldn’t want to touch your potion with a ten foot pole, but I’m certainly not above arresting you and bringing you back to the station,” Jaehwan warns, and the Mad Warlock stiffens, like an animal ready to spring. Taekwoon narrows his eyes.

“Stay where you are—” he begins to say, and the Mad Warlock does a spectacular job of instantly defying his orders by making a sudden break for the back door.

“Professor!” Sanghyuk yells, and Jaehwan leaps into action. His long legs carries him over to the end of the room first and he blocks the door, splaying out his arms to bar the way. The Mad Warlock skidded to a halt, eyes wild as he frantically searched for another way out now that his escape route has been blocked. He made a wild grab for several boxes shoved up against the wall and swept them towards Jaehwan, sending a pile of animal bones tumbling out.

“Aw, gross!” Jaehwan cries, stumbling away from little rodent skulls and stick-thin pieces that crunched under each of his steps.

The Mad Warlock gargled, grinning manically as he spun around and dashed towards the stairs. Taekwoon leapt for him, managing to snag the sorcerer by a narrow wrist. The old man shrieked and twisted away, trying to dislodge Taekwoon. He clung on, pushing the Mad Warlock against the shelf in an attempt to subdue him. The rickety structure wobbles terribly and several of the weaker panels break off, sending two rows of glass jars cascading down on them.

Sanghyuk lunges forwards, managing to catch several containers in both hands. But the ones he’d missed smashed onto the floor, coating the already dirty ground with some horribly sour-scented liquids. One of the jars cracked open on Taekwoon’s head and he staggered, blinking stars out of his eyes as he felt the liquid trail down his neck.

“Oh god, that’s not good, that’s not good,” Sanghyuk groans, tossing the jars onto the table as he grabs Taekwoon by the arm. A stiff dishrag is instantly being scrubbed through his hair as Sanghyuk frantically tried to clean the liquids off, making Taekwoon wince at the roughness of the rag against his tender scalp.

In the chaos, the Mad Warlock seemed to sense his chance. He barrelled forwards, knocking Taekwoon and Sanghyuk out of the way as he made his last break for freedom. Unfortunately, they had all forgotten about Jaehwan, who bravely hopped over broken bones and smelly concoctions alike to take the Mad Warlock down. Taekwoon watched as they crashed into each other, slipped on the mess on the floor, and fell backwards into the kitchen table together. Jaehwan hit his head on the corner as he went down, and he collapsed next to the stove, groaning. Above him, the smoking cauldron wobbled precariously on its stand before tipping over in one smooth motion to deposit all of its contents onto the floor.

There’s none of the stinky sludge or slimy concoctions Taekwoon had been expecting to see; rather, the potion inside is surprisingly clear in colour and vaguely resembles clouded water. But the moment it mixed with the pool of spilled potions on the ground it turned a furious, angry red and began to bubble violently.

The Mad Warlock screamed, high and in despair, and threw himself to the other side of the kitchen. Taekwoon sucked in a breath. That didn’t bode well. Exchanging a glance with Sanghyuk, the two of them instantly scrambled over to grab Jaehwan, who was trying to push himself back up with a dazed look on his face.

“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon panted, hurriedly hoisting his partner to his feet. “C’mon, we shouldn’t stay here—”

“Look out!” Sanghyuk yells, and then he’s tackling Taekwoon and Jaehwan back onto the floor again. Taekwoon slams onto the grimy tiles and he barely has enough time to pull Jaehwan and Sanghyuk towards him before there was a monstrous  _BANG_  and the whole kitchen was engulfed in a wave of smoke and debris.

Taekwoon chokes and instinctively curls around Jaehwan protectively, raising his arm to cover his face from the onslaught of dust. His ears are ringing when the house stops creaking and the shattered glass finally stopped falling out of the broken windows. He could hear people shouting outside and feel Jaehwan shuddering as they sit up.

When the smoke cleared, there was a small crater where the kitchen table used to be and a heavy scent of burnt wood and overcooked eggs in the air. The Mad Warlock was quivering on the other side of the room with a saucepan as a shield, and lying in an unconscious heap at the edge of the demolished kitchen floor was Sanghyuk.

Taekwoon isn’t often inclined to swear, but a situation like this can only be summed up with one choice word.

“ _Shit_.”

+

Sanghyuk doesn’t wake up, not matter what they try.

He’s breathing, and all of his vitals seem normal, but even after they brought the apprentice to the local hospital, made the Mad Warlock name every single ingredient he’d used for his potion in detainment and called in some more respectable sorcerers for help, nothing could revive the teen.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve got no idea how the old man fucked up so badly,” Minhyuk says frankly, hands glowing blue from where they’re pressed against the sides of Sanghyuk’s face. “It seems like a jumble of spells just knocked Sanghyuk flat.”

“The Mad Warlock said he was trying to make a spiritual cleansing spell,” Taekwoon says, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he watched the sorcerer work. Eunkwang and Changsub had all tried their significant spells on Sanghyuk earlier to no effect whatsoever, and were now watching Minhyuk’s attempts. The sorcerers collectively snort.

“I’ve seen a kid wizard with a broken wand make a better attempt than that,” Changsub says, completely unapologetic with his criticism, and Eunwkang nods in agreement.

“Sungjae could probably do better, and he’s always skipping lessons with me for school or his job,” Minhyuk adds, and his apprentice gives him a withering look.

“I kept telling Sanghyuk he should’ve tried to find a proper mentor before he gets himself cursed or something,” Sungjae grumbles, looking forlornly at his friend’s unmoving figure. “And now look at what’s happened.”

The barista had rushed over the minute Minhyuk had called, still wearing the apron from the cafe, to see if Sanghyuk was okay. And despite lying motionless on the bed, Sanghyuk didn’t seem to have any outstanding injuries other than a few scrapes on his arms and some soot in his blond hair. He looked as though he could’ve been sleeping.

“Well, on the upside, with the Mad Warlock’s track record, things could’ve been a lot worse,” Minhyuk says as he retracts his hands, the blue light fading away as he did. “As of right now he’s completely out of it, but he’s not in a critical state. He’s actually doing okay, except for the fact that, you know—”

“He’s not awake?” Jaehwan supplies helpfully as he prodded at the bandage plastered over the spot he’d hit, and Taekwoon grabs him by the wrist to make him stop. Minhyuk nods.

“Yeah, that.”

“Real helpful,” Changsub says, and earns an elbow to the side from Eunkwang.

“You know, the effects of... whatever spell the Mad Warlock’s managed to make is actually really similar to a very strong sleeping spell,” Minhyuk says, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he looks towards Eunkwang and Changsub for confirmation.

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Eunkwang says. “It’s messy, but the elements are there.”

“Is that a good thing?” Taekwoon asks, frowning, and Minhyuk hums.

“Sort of, because sleeping spells can wear off by themselves over time. There’s only, er, a slight problem.”

“What slight problem?” Taekwoon squints.

“This is a really jumbled spell,” Eunkwang says. “So the time it’ll take for it to wear off... might be a while.”

“Like a week?” Jaehwan asks.

“More like a year,” Changsub corrects, and Taekwoon feels his eyes widen in shock as Jaehwan chokes on his own spit. “And that’s only if we’re lucky and no side effect pops up somehow. I wouldn’t put it past the Mad Warlock’s spells to start defecting halfway.”

“Can’t you do anything about it?” Sungjae asks, pulling at Minhyuk’s sleeve. “Didn’t you always say it’s worse to wait out the effects of a jumbled spell, because they might start to mix and go bad?”

“Yes, but I just don’t think that it’s wise to interfere right now, not when the Mad Warlock’s spells could react badly to ours and make things even worse. Usually the best way to undo a spell is to get the spell caster to do it themselves, because of the laws of the origins of magic and all that, but given how disastrous the Mad Warlock’s spells are on a good day I really don’t think we should ask him for anything.”

“Then what are we going to do?” Jaehwan asks, exchanging worried looks with Taekwoon. He’s pretty sure neither of them understood a word Minhyuk just said. All he knows is that they were out of options. “We can’t leave Sanghyuk like this!”

“Well, he’s always complained about a lack of sleep,” Sungjae mutters. “He’s going to be mad about missing the season finale of Naruto though.”

“Priorities, eh?” Changsub says dryly, and Taekwoon rolls his eyes.

“Maybe there’s something we can do to help him recover faster,” Eunkwang suggests, and suddenly Minhyuk snaps his fingers, eyes bright.

“I’ve got it! Why don’t we take him to Hakyeon?”

“ _Hakyeon_?” Taekwoon echoed. “Why?”

“He’s a forest spirit that’s very well versed in the flow of nature! Haven’t you heard that natural cures are always the best?” Minhyuk asks.

“No,” Changsub, Sungjae and Jaehwan say together. Eunkwang bursts out laughing, Minhyuk looks snubbed, and Taekwoon resists the urge to pinch the bridge of his noise in exasperation. It was barely two in the afternoon and he already wants to pack up and go home.

“We should,” Minhyuk insists. “I’ve gone to him for magic and spell consultations before, and even though he acts like a goofball half the time, he’s actually a very powerful spellcaster, believe it or not.”

“It’s not Hakyeon I’m worried about,” Taekwoon mutters. “I know he’ll do his best for Sanghyuk, but you know what the Old Forest is like. Hakyeon may be kind and likes humans, but there are other creatures that aren’t.”

“Hakyeon won’t let anything happen to Sanghyuk,” Minhyuk insists, giving Taekwoon a comforting pat on the arm. “Trust me.”

Taekwoon squints. He wants to say that he’s had enough of trusting in sorcerers for a lifetime, but he knows Minhyuk won’t lie, knows that Hakyeon is undoubtably powerful and would do everything in his power to help, and his gaze flicks over to where Sanghyuk is lying on the bed, still except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. Taekwoon sighs.

“Let’s go see Hakyeon.”

+

The Old Forest hums with a kind of constant, heavy energy that Taekwoon has never been able to identify. Perhaps that’s why he dislikes visiting so often; he’s felt all kinds of magic before, ones that soothe him, ones that set him on edge, some that makes all the hairs on his arm stand up on and and others that feel like a warm hug from an old friend, but the forest is different. Strange, ancient creatures of all origins and creation live in the forest, and it is a world that even the Department of the Detainment and Rehabilitation of Dangerous Magical Creatures does not meddle with. Any human that chooses to wander into the forest does so at their own risk, and Taekwoon values his life, thank you very much.

But Sanghyuk’s life is also at stake here, and it’s his job as a friend and parole officer to help the poor apprentice out. Thus, the seven of them are travelling in a tight pack through the path leading through the forest, which is almost completely overgrown in grass and other tall plants. Minhyuk and Eunkwang takes the lead, clearly more at ease in the forest than Taekwoon is, and he’s keeping a firm grip on Jaehwan’s elbow because his partner is a fearless idiot and would undoubtably run off if something interests him. Behind them, Sungjae is groaning and grunting under the weight of an unconscious Sanghyuk draped over his back in a piggyback, and Changsub brings up the rear, looking incredibly amused by the sight in front of him.

“Why am I doing all the grunt work here?” Sungjae pants, yelping as he slips on a slightly wet patch of grass.

“Because Sanghyuk would literally crush everybody else here,” Changsub snorts. “Plus, you’re the youngest. We’ve got senior’s privilege.”

“Unfair,” Sungjae whines, but he hitches Sanghyuk back up nonetheless, making sure that his friend is secure on his back. Taking pity on him, Taekwoon calls out to Minhyuk, “How much further is it?”

“Not to far,” Minhyuk says. “Hakyeon’s not by his tree right now, so we’re going to find him and then bring him back to the clearing.”

“Ooh, how can you tell?” Jaehwan asks curiously, tilting his head like a puppy. Minhyuk grins.

“If you listen closely enough, you can learn just about anything.”

Jaehwan pouts, not liking the answer. This is the reason why Taekwoon never bothered to take up sorcery; the concepts are too vague, too reliant on the inherent feeling. Eunkwang had tried explaining it to him once, saying how channelling their flow of magic was the same feeling as mastering a particularly difficult skill, like understanding a math concept or nailing a move in a certain sport. The example had helped, but not that much. In the end, Taekwoon’s more than happy going about in the city in uniform and visiting the magical creatures that need a stern telling off for causing trouble again.

“Here we are,” Minhyuk announces, pushing aside the heavy clump of willow branches that hides the entrance to clearing Hakyeon lives in. Taekwoon doesn’t come here often, despite Hakyeon’s insistences that he visits more, and the last time he’d been present he was more preoccupied with finding out where Jaehwan had gone to properly appreciate the forest. Hakyeon’s clearing is a wide stretch of empty land, covered in ankle-high, softly wavering grass, endlessly green in colour. The entire place is surrounded by a smattering of willow trees that wave lazily in the light breeze, long, grazing branches hiding the clearing away from unsuspecting eyes. In the middle of the glade grows a towering, beautiful yew tree, with branches that span far and wide. Small spots of sunlight flicker in the ground as the leaves rustle in the wind, giving off a peculiar feeling of being underwater. High above them, there was a sliver of bright blue sky that remained unobscured by anything, and a visible beam of sunlight shone down into the clearing, illuminating a patch of grass before them. A sense of calm washes over Taekwoon as he steps into the area, feeling the tension drain out of his shoulder as he does.

“Whoa,” Sungjae breathes, eyes wide in awe as he takes in his surroundings. They’ve all been to Hakyeon’s place at some point or another, but the feeling of stunning revelation still stirs within them. It’s inexplicable, but it’s always there.

“Here, lay Sanghyuk down by the tree,” Minhyuk instructs, gesturing to Sungjae. “Eunkwang and I will go and—”

There’s a sudden gust of wind that makes the branches bend and the back of Taekwoon’s neck prickle. He spins around and Hakyeon is there, standing by their side like he’s been with them all along.

“What’s wrong with Sanghyuk?” he asks at once, unnervingly on point, and Taekwoon’s reminded of Hakyeon’s uncanny ability to sort of know everything and anything.

“A spellcasting accident,” Minhyuk says immediately. “Can you help?”

Hakyeon’s brows furrow together slightly and he breezes over to where Sungjae stands. The apprentice is watching Hakyeon with wide eyes, as though he wasn’t quite sure he was really seeing the spirit, and Hakyeon gives him a reassuring smile.

“Let me take him off your back,” Hakyeon offers, and Sungjae blinks before allowing Hakyeon to carefully pull Sanghyuk into his arms. He lifts the taller boy quite effortlessly, as though he weighed next to nothing, eyes scanning over Sanghyuk’s peaceful expression. Concern and understanding flickers in Hakyeon’s expression before he says, “Alright, why don’t we all sit first and talk about what happened?”

They gather in the shade of the yew, flopping down onto the comfortable grass as Hakyeon carefully lays Sanghyuk out over one of the protruding roots in the ground. It’s got a slight hollow to it that cradles Sanghyuk’s head, and Hakyeon rearranges Sanghyuk’s arms so that it looks like he’s resting naturally. It looked both strange yet comforting. Taekwoon and Jaehwan deliver the story in quick succession, summarizing the main points for Hakyeon. When they finished the story, Hakyeon had an unnaturally stern look on his face.

“I’m sure you’ve all felt it,” the spirit says, glancing at the four sorcerers. “But the balance of the spell has been completely thrown off. This is a huge problem.”

Taekwoon and Jaehwan exchange looks, but the others nod, solemn.

“Er, what does that mean?”

“The world exists in harmony,” Hakyeon explains. “The Balance represents that. It’s not by any means limited in a binary composition, but an approximation of a series of elements that even each other out. For example, something like an incredibly dry autumn, a thunderstorm, and a burst of lightning striking a tree will cause a fire, burn down plants and animals, but then new life will reappear as a result of it. It’s a process.”

“That same Balance applies to magic,” Eunkwang adds. “Spells and potions have their origins, and it creates the desire result when mixed together. But when we try and play god and stretch the capabilities of our magic, bad things happen.”

“Like the Mad Warlock’s attempt to mix the cleansing spell and the Aztec ritual,” Taekwoon says slowly, and Eunkwang nods.

“Essentially,” the sorcerer replies, and Taekwoon really wishes he and Jaehwan took the Mad Warlock’s talent for causing trouble a little more seriously. Then, maybe they could’ve stopped all this from happening.

“Fortunately, Sanghyuk’s accident is a process too,” Hakyeon says, giving Taekwoon a comforting smile. He’s probably noticed how Taekwoon feels like beating himself up. “Trying to reverse the mess of spells might not work, but backwards is not the only way to go. Sometimes, we have to accept the situation and go forwards to solve our problems.”

“So what are you going to do?” Jaehwan asks, scooching forwards with a curious expression. Hakyeon hummed and glanced at Sanghyuk again, thinking.

“I’m going to take the elements of that spell and dilute it,” he says slowly. “Then, I’ll simply dissipate it until it no longer has its hold on Sanghyuk.”

“Au naturel,” Minhyuk adds, grinning.

“You make it sound like he’s running an organic produce stand or something,” Changsub complains, and Minhyuk punches him in the leg as Sungjae laughs.

“It might take a while,” Hakyeon warns. “But it won’t be too long. I’m actually quite proficient with spellcasting.”

“Told y’all,” Minhyuk announces aloud, and Hakyeon beams.

“Yeah yeah, okay, we won’t bother the powerful old spirit with his work,” Sungjae heckles, tugging at Minhyuk’s sleeve. “I have to go back to my shift now, I literally just ran out on my boss and Ilhoon covered for me but he’s gonna get mad at me if I take too long."

“You brought this on yourself,” Eunkwang and Changsub say together, and Sungjae adopts a horrifically offended look.

“Well excuse me for caring about my friend!”

“Don’t worry,” Hakyeon soothes, rising fluidly to his feet as he begins to shoo them out of his clearing. “Sanghyuk’s in good hands. I’ll contact you all when things have cleared up, okay?”

“Thank you,” Taekwoon says softly, reaching out to Hakyeon. “For helping.”

Hakyeon turns to him, brown eyes bright in the sun, and he smiles gently. Not for the first time Taekwoon feels the weight of eons of knowledge pressing down on him from a single look alone. He shivers a little, and Hakyeon pats his arm lightly.

“I’ll keep in touch,” he says, and then he’s moving to sit cross-legged in the grass beside where Sanghyuk’s lying against the tree root, hands folded over his stomach. Hakyeon takes Sanghyuk’s wrist in his hand and closes his eyes. As he exhaled, the whole clearing seemed to sigh with him, and another gust of cool wind ruffles Taekwoon’s hair. Something in the air seems to crackle, and as it came to life, a new ripple of magic seemed to make the forest tremble.

And in the centre of it all, Hakyeon is the anchor that holds everything together.

Taekwoon swallows, and feels Jaehwan’s hand touch the small of his back.

“C’mon,” his partner says softly, giving him a comforting smile, and then they finally left Sanghyuk in Hakyeon’s care.

+

 

+

He dreams of a wintery day long ago, when his older sister was still a young child and he was no more than a toddler, cradled in his mother’s arms with a soft blanket swaddled around him. The world existed in disorienting colours and strange structures, but it was all undeniably beautiful. Gentle lips press against his chubby baby cheeks, and his heart is happy as he waves little fists and giggles a nonsensical baby giggle.

Older people above him are speaking words he doesn’t quite understand yet, but then he feels a heavy palm rest against his forehead. The palm is rough with use and there is a cool band on one of the thick fingers that presses into the soft skin on his forehead, but it’s an oddly familiar yet distant feeling. Then, the touch eases up, until the feeling changes entirely and there are slim, slender fingers combing through his hair instead.

Sanghyuk twitches as he steadily regains consciousness and chases after the memory of the heavier hand.

“Dad?” he whispers, the word tumbling out of his mouth as his eyes fluttered open. It sounded horribly awkward coming from him when there had been nobody around for Sanghyuk to call dad for years already, but before he could dwell on that thought, somewhere above him a voice says, “Ooh, don’t call me that kid, I know the word dad holds all kinds of weird connotations with humans.”

“What?” Sanghyuk mumbles, squinting towards the direction of the voice, and he sees a Hakyeon hovering over him, his face upside down and his soft, dark hair hanging around his face.

“Welcome back,” Hakyeon smiles, and he looks radiant, like the sun. “How are you feeling?”

“What,” Sanghyuk repeats, momentarily dumbfounded by the forest spirit’s appearance and the general confusion pertaining to his surroundings.

“You’re really out of it, aren’t you?” Hakyeon says cheerfully, and he bends down to help Sanghyuk sit up. Sangyuk rises slowly, trying to nudge the feeling of disconcertion out of his system. His head feels strangely blank and his limbs are weak and languid, like wet noodles. He’s vaguely aware of Hakyeon helping him lean against the trunk of the yew tree, the bumpy surface of the bark pressing against his back.

“Here, drink this,” Hakyeon says, pressing a large stone cup into Sanghyuk’s hands. Confused, Sanghyuk took it and tipped the contents back. Sweet, syrupy nectar glides over his tongue, oddly heavy but not bad in taste. It settles in his stomach, and only then did Sanghyuk realize how hungry he was. Something catches his eye in his peripherals, and he sees Hakyeon hold out a large leaf to him, cupped in his palms, and there is an assortment of nuts and berries in it.

“Don’t try to eat too much at once,” Hakyeon warns. “You’ve been out for a while.”

“F-for how long?” Sanghyuk croaks, taking the food carefully.

“About a week,” Hakyeon says, and he nearly chokes on a pine nut.

“A  _week_?” Sanghyuk chokes, eyes widening in shock. “How— what—”

“Do you remember anything that happened?” Hakyeon asks, watching Sanghyuk carefully as he tried to collect himself.

For a moment, his mind struggled to catch up with everything that happened before a very large expanse of blackness in his memory— getting up in the morning for work, trying to study but the sounds of the Professor’s work from the kitchen was getting louder and louder, seeing that horrific mixup of a potion and spell on the table he ate dinner every night on—

“Oh my god,” Sanghyuk gasps. “The professor! And Taekwoon! And Jaehwan, oh my god, it blew up, are they okay—?”

“Easy now,” Hakyeon soothes, brushing a few wayward strands of hair away from Sanghyuk’s face. “They’re fine, you saved them. And in the process, you were the one who got horribly knocked out.”

“By the professor’s spell?” Sanghyuk asks warily, and Hakyeon nods.

“Your friends brought you to me when they couldn’t undo it themselves, and I spent a week slowly untangling the knots in the professor’s spellwork until you woke up.”

“I can’t believe this,” Sanghyuk groans, dropping his head. “This is such a mess.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Hakyeon says sternly, reaching out to cup Sanghyuk’s chin. His expression is determined, not angry, and his fingers are light against Sanghyuk’s face. “You did well, trying to help your friends. And they were smart to bring you to me.”

“You saved me,” Sanghyuk says slowly, a mixture of awe, gratefulness, and a tiny hint of unease settling in him. He’s friends with Hakyeon, but there was always something that seemed ethereal, untouchable about him. It made him nervous sometimes, being around Hakyeon, who seemed to brim with unimaginable energy and old power.

And this being, with all his energy and power, had brought Sanghyuk back to the world of the living.

“I did,” Hakyeon nods. “But I couldn’t have done it if you didn’t manage to pull yourself together at the right moment either.”

“I think you’re giving me far too much credit,” Sanghyuk mutters, and Hakyeon tilts his head.

“I think not,” the forest spirit says quietly, and Sanghyuk snaps his gaze over to him, surprised. “Tell me,” Hakyeon says suddenly. “What did you dream of? Was it your father?”

“...not exactly,” Sanghyuk says slowly. “It was... more of a memory than a dream. I don’t remember my father, but I remembered my feelings of him... it was one of the few things I could associate with him before, well...”

“He left?” Hakyeon supplied softly, and Sanghyuk nods, rubbing his temples.

“It’s not like I miss him,” he mumbles, aware of how he sounds unintentionally defensive. Years of pitying looks from other kids’ moms has worn him out. “He wasn’t even around long enough for me to make memories. His loss, probably.”

Hakyeon doesn’t say anything, but he pats Sanghyuk’s back lightly. “Forgive me if that is a touchy subject,” he says. “While I was working through the magic, I caught some glimpses of your memories. I didn’t want you to think that I was intruding, so I had to let you know.”

“Oh,” Sanghyuk says, blinking. “Did you see... the memory I had just now, then?”

“A bit of it,” Hakyeon nods, and then his expression softens a little. “It’s a warm memory. And I think that you’ve got a lot of good deep down, despite all the troubles you’ve been through.”

Sanghyuk looks down, cheeks a little warm, and heart aching every so slightly. He shoves a few berries into his mouth before changing the subject. “Do you have memories like that? In the forest or anything?”

Hakyeon raises an eyebrow, and for a moment he looked taken off guard. “Not quite,” he admits, gazing out across the clearing. “For me, I’ve always lived alongside the forest. My memories don’t really have a chronological order. So long as the forest lives, I just... exist. Does that make sense?”

“Not really,” Sanghyuk says, wincing a little. “This is a different type of magic that what I study. It’s a lot older, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed,” Hakyeon says solemnly. “I can teach you about it, if you like.”

“Eh?” Sanghyuk stops short, a pine nut falling out of his fingers as he stares at Hakyeon. “Teach me?”

“I assume you’re not going back to study under the professor,” Hakyeon raises an eyebrow, and then he suddenly frowns deeply. “I  _really_  hope you won’t do that, actually.”

“No, I’m not going to, I just— I didn’t expect you to offer to teach me.”

“I don’t mind sharing my knowledge of the forest,” Hakyeon smiles, eyes twinkling. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had anybody to talk to properly. I don’t get a lot of visitors, so if you’re interested, I don’t mind taking you around to explore.”

“Wow,” Sanghyuk breathes, and he’s suddenly jittery in the face of such an opportunity. How many people can say they’re an apprentice of a forest spirit in one of the oldest, most magically potent locations around? Sure, he’s aware of the risks involved with so many diverse creatures in the forest, but he’ll be with Hakyeon. And Hakyeon is not to be messed with, not on his own turf.

“I’ll do it,” he blurts out, clutching the bowl with both hands, and Hakyeon looks delighted.

“You will?” the spirit asks excitedly, and then visibly attempts to calm himself. “You can think about it first, you know, you don’t have to just jump into this—”

“I’m going to go back and finish my last two months of exams so I can at least graduate from my apprenticeship,” Sanghyuk hums. “But after that, I’ll have the time to study with you.”

“We can work with that,” Hakyeon says thoughtfully, tapping his chin. “And if anything, you can take that two months to adjust and sort out your work.”

“I think we can do this,” Sanghyuk grins, and catches Hakyeon’s eye. The forest spirit smiles back, and a gust of wind blows past the clearing, rustling grass and leaves. If Sanghyuk listened closely, he could almost hear a whisper in the breeze, but if it was saying anything in particular, he couldn’t hear it yet.

Maybe one day, with Hakyeon’s help, he will be able to.

+

_Three weeks later_

“So  _this_  is what you meant when you found a new job?" Jaehwan exclaims delightedly when he drags Taekwoon into the coffee shop across from the department and finds Sanghyuk standing behind the counter, wearing a navy blue apron with the shop’s logo embossed in silver stitching across the front.

“Yup,” Sanghyuk grins. “I asked Sungjae to help me get a job, and it just so happens they were looking for an extra cashier at the cafe, so here I am.”

Jaehwan coos happily, reaching over to pinch Sanghyuk’s cheeks. Sanghyuk pulls a face and bats Jaehwan off him, and Taekwoon reaches over to yank Jaehwan back by his side, giving him an exasperated look.

“Don’t bother him while he’s at work.”

“But I’m a customer, it’s my job to bother him,” Jaehwan pouts, snaking his arms around Taekwoon’s middle, making him do a weird little wiggle to try and untangle himself before giving up completely. Sometimes there was just no fighting Jaehwan, who was now almost permanently attached to Taekwoon’s side.

“Two iced lattes please,” he tells Sanghyuk instead, who happily rings them up while Sungjae drifts around in the back, sticking cups under nozzles and stir sticks into his hair for fun.

“Coming right up,” Sanghyuk hums, handing Taekwoon his change before uncapping a marker to scribble their order on the plastic cup.

“So I heard you’ve terminated your apprenticeship with the Mad— the professor,” Jaehwan says nonchalantly, momentarily leaving Taekwoon to lean over the counter in mock conspiracy, “And that you’re the only student who’s got enough nerve to attend the last portion of the practical and theoretical magical examination without the guidance of a mentor.”

“I wouldn’t call him much of a mentor,” Sanghyuk points out, and Sungjae snorts loudly in the back. “But it’s not as though I’m going in blind, Minhyuk is helping me study with Sungjae, and Eunkwang and Changsub are kind enough to drop by too. Once all my exams are over, I’ll finally get to study with Hakyeon.”

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” Taekwoon says, smiling, and Sanghyuk beams.

“I know I will,” the young man says, sliding their drinks across the counter to them. “Have a good day, guys.”

“You too!” Jaehwan calls back, and Taekwoon offers a little wave before they’re walking back across the street to the department, sipping their beverages through colourful straws. The door closes on the sounds of Sungjae and Sanghyuk goofing off, as two friends are wont to do, and leaves them standing amidst the faint sounds of afternoon traffic at corner of the street, waiting for the light to change.

“Sanghyuk looks a lot happier now,” Jaehwan comments, chewing his straw as he slides his hand through Taekwoon’s.

He does,” Taekwoon agrees, squeezing back. He shivers a little as a breeze blows past. The temperatures are dropping as autumn comes to an end, and soon the city will be buried in a layer of crisp white snow and their breaths will start to rise in little puffs of smoke like the dragons that reside in the historic miner’s caves down by the bay.

“I’m glad he’s happy,” Jaehwan adds, dropping his head against Taekwoon’s shoulder.

The light changes to green, and a cloud finally passes by overhead. The bright ray of blazing sun shines down upon them, warming their faces, hands and hearts as they walk.

“Me too,” Taekwoon answers, glancing up into the beautiful blue sky. “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> as usual, more to come from this AU (*ΦωΦ*)
> 
> thanks for reading!


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